Earth Day and the Environmental Justice Movement
by Tara Mahadevan
The cold winter months giving way to warmer temperatures, blooming flowers, and longer days remind us—at least in the U.S.—that, with the arrival of spring, Earth Day is right around the corner.
The annual event takes place on the same day every year, April 22, a day that both celebrates the environmental movement's accomplishments and brings attention to the continued need for action around climate change.
But a true celebration of Earth Day cannot exist without the Environmental Justice Movement, which fights for everyone—across race, national origin, and income—to have the same environmental protections and benefits. Below, we share how Earth Day began, its intersection with the Environmental Justice Movement, and how everyone can play their part to care for our world.
What is Earth Day?
Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson was inspired to create Earth Day on April 22, 1970, following the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill, which, at the time, ranked as the biggest in U.S. waters. He wanted to educate Americans about environmental issues, particularly at a time when environmental activism was on the rise. Nelson and Denis Hayes—an activist and graduate student at Harvard University—banded together to organize the first Earth Day, which featured a protest, educational programs, cleanups, and rallies to draw national attention to the cause.
On that day in 1970, 20 million people across the country participated in the day’s activities, which also bolstered support for environmental legislation in the U.S., like the Clean Air Act and Endangered Species Act. Hayes later organized the first worldwide Earth Day in 1990, assembling more than 200 million people across 140+ countries to participate in the event.
Why April 22?
The reason behind the chosen date for Earth Day is more straightforward than one would think. Nelson selected April 22 because it fell on a weekday that was between spring break and finals for students, as he was keen on student participation. Also, since April 22 is during the spring season in the U.S., it typically means weather conditions will be good, allowing for outdoor activities.
What are Earth Day’s Core Issues?
The three big problems Earth Day addresses are climate change, pollution—air, water, and soil—and the loss of biodiversity. Shifts in temperatures and weather patterns have had a profound impact on biodiversity, with human activities being the main cause of environmental warming.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2023 Annual Climate Report revealed that, since 1850, land and ocean temperatures have risen at a total rate of 2° Fahrenheit. While that may seem insignificant, the added heat has caused extreme temperatures, melted snow cover and sea ice, increased heavy rainfall, altered habitats for plants and animals, and more.
Other issues Earth Day tackles include advocacy, education, energy, food and agriculture, green economy, green schools, recycling and waste reduction, and sustainable development.
The purpose of Earth Day is to raise awareness of environmental protection and encourage everyone to do their part in protecting the planet. It is a response to pollution, loss of biodiversity, and climate change, and reminds us we have a shared responsibility to care for the planet and foster a healthy environment. The day also aims to educate the public and rally for its support in protecting and conserving our world.
Earth Day and the Environmental Justice Movement
Earth Day and the environmental justice movement go hand-in-glove. Black people, people of color, and the underprivileged endure the harshest realities of environmental injustice, due to racism and inequality.
Chicago’s own Hazel M. Johnson was known as the “mother of the environmental justice movement.” She fought for equal environmental rights for more than half her life, specifically working to reform public housing conditions for residents.
Her passion started in her own community, Altgeld Gardens, a public housing development on Chicago’s southside. After discovering that the southside had the highest cancer rate in all of the city, she looked to her community and the health of her neighbors. Cancer and respiratory illnesses abounded at Altgeld Gardens—and she soon found out it was because the public housing project was built on a toxic landfill. That meant the residents’ air, water, and land were harming them, as well as the asbestos and lead in the building.
The revelation led her to launch the organization, People for Community Recovery, which, according to its website, is on a mission to “enhance the quality of life of residents living in communities affected by environmental pollution.”
Big Oil Has Co-Opted Earth Day
The Santa Barbara oil spill was the catalyst for the first Earth Day in 1970. Decades later, ironically, Big Oil has done what it can to appropriate Earth Day for its own benefit.
On Jan. 28, 1969, 15 months before the first Earth Day, Union Oil’s rig in the Santa Barbara Channel saw a blowout. The company had taken a shortcut in the amount of protective steel casing it used for the rig; instead of using at least 300 feet of casing for the new well, it used only 239 feet.
The well erupted. Union Oil attempted to stop the flow of oil but it didn’t work, with natural gas and oil gushing into the ocean. After 11 days, almost 9,000 gallons of oil discharged into the ocean per hour. The spill tapered off by April, with roughly three million gallons of oil escaping into the water, across 35 miles. To this day, it’s still one of the largest oil spills in American history.
Of course, Santa Barbara wasn’t the first or last oil spill. The top five biggest incidents have happened either in or close to the U.S.: 2010’s Deepwater Horizon, 1979’s Ixtoc 1, 1977’s Hawaiian Patriot, 1975’s Epic Colocotronis, and 1989’s Exxon Valdez.
Big Oil’s appropriation of Earth Day is one-dimensional. In the most obvious way, Big Oil has co-opted Earth Day by launching ads and various campaigns, claiming to be on the right side of history—to be working to reduce emissions—when in reality, oil corporations are muzzling discourse surrounding climate change while preserving the world’s dependence on fossil fuels. Big Oil neglects environmental justice and highlights how Earth Day becomes superficial if it isn’t intersectional.
In more furtive ways, Big Oil is funding climate change research. Institutions like Harvard, Stanford, and MIT have connections to Big Oil; only a few years ago, Harvard promised to divest its $53 billion endowment in fossil fuel interests. According to The Nation, companies invest in research and academia to have a hand in how policymakers, the media, and the world understand climate change solutions and how to address the crisis. The goal is to discredit climate change and misrepresent its risks to the public.
How Can We Play Our Part?
You can commemorate the day with a mix of personal and community-driven action. This means engaging in activities that promote environmental sustainability like planting trees, clean-up efforts, cutting down on waste, supporting environmental policies, and reducing energy use.
There are also a few ways you can contribute to the environmental justice movement: donate and volunteer at environmental justice organizations; educate your family, friends, and neighbors about the movement, and encourage them to combat injustices, and express your concerns to elected officials, your community, and online.
Chicago’s Local Initiatives
Chicago has several organizations, which are working to advance local policies and increase opportunities to create a greener city. In addition to People for Community Recovery, there is also the Black- and women-led non-profit urban farm, Urban Growers Collective; Green Era, which aims to create sustainable communities by supporting local food production; the non-profit organization and racial equity movement, Equiticity; Active Transportation Alliance, which advocates for walking, bicycling, and public transport to support healthier communities; and the environmental justice group, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization.
If you’re not located in Chicago, we encourage you to identify organizations in your community that are fighting for our earth and environmental justice.
